1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a planar monolithic self-oscillating mixer in the millimeter wave frequency range and the manner in which it is fabricated.
2. Description of Related Art
J. C. Chen et al in an article entitled "Millimeter-Wave Monolithic Gunn Oscillators" disclose the design and fabrication of a monolithic GaAs Gunn oscillator using a flip chip design.
Mixing is defined as the conversion of a low power level signal from one frequency to another by combining it with a higher power (local oscillator) signal in a nonlinear device. In general, mixing produces a large number of sum and difference frequencies. Usually, the difference frequency between signal and local oscillator (the intermediate frequency) is of interest and is at a low power level.
Conventional Schottky-barrier type mixers require two major elements--mixer diodes of the rectifier type and a separate local oscillator. In the present invention a self-mixing oscillator is provided which eliminates the separate mixer diodes.